Orange County Historical Museum has financial struggles

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Because of significant financial struggles, the Orange County Historical Museum may only be able to stay open for the next two years.

This isn’t the first time the independently-funded museum has experienced controversy. Two years ago, the museum board successfully advocated to have the words “Confederate Memorial” removed from the front of the building, which led to protests and counter-protests over contextualizing history.

Last year, the museum was forced to close during their busiest seasons for 18 weeks due to a ceiling collapse.

Museum director Candace Midgett said grant structures have changed significantly in the past decade, which has resulted in less funding.

“If we apply for a grant now, there’s a really good chance that about two-thirds of that money is going to go right through our hands to things like material supplies and transport expenses, and with some grants that proportion is even higher," she said. "There’s very little left for our infrastructure.”

Midgett said she remains hopeful. The museum applies to accessible grants when possible, and the museum board is going to host more fundraisers and ticketed events.

“You always have to have a plan for these kinds of situations, though,” Midgett said.

If the museum does have to close, funding has been reserved to re-home artifacts in other museums and historical sites, Midgett said, with the hope that they will stay in the Raleigh area.

Hillsborough Mayor Tom Stevens said he's upset that the the museum is in crisis.

“The history of this town is so much a part of its identity,” he said. “The museum houses quite a number of artifacts that are part of Orange County’s history. If those got dispersed or distributed outside the county, that would be a real loss.”

Midgett said she finds it bizarre that they haven't had as much help in protecting local history as she had hoped.

“We hold many important artifacts from the Civil War here, we have the spaces for people to engage with them," she said. "It really is strange that people who believe so passionately in preserving that heritage don’t consider places like the museum are worthy of support. We do tell both sides of the story here. If people would come in, they would see that.”

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